Over 1,000 French Jews Join "Yom Hevron" Parade

30th annual parade marches through Hebron with flags and music.

10.8.17, 11:55

The 30th annual Yom Hevron parade attracted over 1,000 people to the streets of Hebron in a flag-waving celebration. The Israel is Forever organization, a French-speaking pro-Israel group, organized the event which was attended by Knesset Coalition chairman David Bitan, World Zionist Organization vice chairman Yaakov Hagoel and others.

The parade marched through the historic Jewish quarter of the city to the ancient Tomb of Machpela complex, burial site of the Biblical Matriarchs and Patriarchs.

The parade coincides with the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the city during the Six Day War of 1967. It also follows last month's UNESCO vote which declared the holy places Palestinian World Heritage Sites in Danger.

MK Bitan who has visited Hebron several times recently stated at the event "The contemptible decision of UNESCO completely ignored the Jewish people’s historical connection to the city where our forefathers are buried. It reinforces the need and importance of your presence here. There is no more symbolic moment than now to appeal to those of you who have not yet immigrated to Israel, that now is the time to return home, to the only true home of all the Jews."

The WZO's Hagoel stated, "These are people who could have been at the beach or in air-conditioned rooms with their iPads, and instead they are marching here with Israeli flags in the midst of Hebron, where it all began for the Jewish people."

After the march, the guests sat down for a musical performance and speakers who addressed the crowd in French about thee recent influx of French Jews and the importance of the city of Hebron and other historic locations in Israel.